Unless otherwise indicated herein, the materials described in this section are not prior art to the claims in this application and are not admitted to be prior art by inclusion in this section.
Engineered thermoplastics may be coated with another polymer to improve texture, color and/or longevity. Recycling coated thermoplastics may present a challenge since the coating typically has to be removed in order to obtain quality recyclable thermoplastics. When the coating is not removed, the coated thermoplastics to be recycled may have reduced commercial value, and possibly may be used in low-valued applications, such as synthetic wood products. Currently, decomposition of the entire substrate may be employed to recycle plastic.
It has been estimated that the percentage of the approximately 100 million metric tons of thermoplastics generated globally each year not recycled may be as high as 80% or more. The major sources of coated thermoplastics may be the auto and/or electronic industries. For the auto industry, because of increased fuel efficiency concerns, thermoplastics use may be increasing in recently years. In particular polycarbonate glazings may be in high demands, as plastic windows may be increasingly sought after to improve fuel economy and stylistic features of vehicles.